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Bad Men

from Ghost Quartet by Ghost Quartet

/
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    A CD of the album, with cover art by Margaret Ashford-Trotter and a chipboard card case designed by Brittain Ashford.

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  • Sheet Music

    A complete 141-page score of all the text and music in the show. Score is lead sheet style, with full vocal arrangements, and other melodic lines written out and (see attached images!)

    This is a slightly revised second edition (2017).

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lyrics

BAD MEN
_________

[BRENT]
Side 3, Track 3. “Bad Men.”

[BRITTAIN (Dunyazad)]
Scheherazade was ending the story for the night:

[GELSEY (Scheherazade)]
“AND SO ROSE LEFT THE SHOP WITH A BRAND NEW CAMERA
AND THE NUMBER OF THE SUBWAY DRIVER WRITTEN ON HER ARM”

BUT NOW THE SUN IS RISING
AND THAT IS ALL I AM PERMITTED TO SAY

Do you like my story, Shah Zaman?

[BRENT (Shah Zaman)]
It is a marvelous tale!

[BRITTAIN]
WHAT A GOOD, SWEET STORY IT IS!
YOU ARE A REAL SCHEHERAZADE

[GELSEY]
HOW CAN THIS COMPARE
TO THE STORY I SHALL TELL YOU
TOMORROW NIGHT
IF THE SHAH SPARES ME
AND I AM STILL ALIVE?

[BRENT]
When I kill you, I will miss you.

[GELSEY]
How will you grieve for me, O Shah?

[BRENT]
I WILL COMMAND A GREAT FEAST FOR THE KINGDOM
WITH THE LARGEST BOAR THAT THE COURT HAS EVER SEEN
AND GREAT OAKEN CASKS FULL OF HONEY SWEET WINE
AND WE’LL TOAST TO THE COULD-HAVE-BEEN QUEEN

AND WHEN THE FEAST IS IN FULL SWING
AND THE BUTTERFLY JESTERS ARE DANCING
I WILL TAKE THE LARGEST CASK
BACK TO MY ROOM

AND I'LL DRINK ALL ALONE IN MY ROOM
AND I'LL CRY LIKE A BABY
AND I’LL DRINK SO MUCH I’LL GET SICK
AND I’LL LIE ON THE BATHROOM FLOOR
AND I’LL DRINK SOME MORE

AND I’LL KEEP DRINKING
FOR FORTY-TWO YEARS
AN OLD OLD MAN
ALL ALONE IN HIS CHAIR
WATCHING GAME SHOWS
MAKING FUN OF THE CONTESTANTS
FOR THEIR STUPID ANSWERS
AND THEIR WASTED LIVES

[BRITTAIN & GELSEY]
A WASTED SACK OF A MAN
AN EMPTY BROWN PAPER BAG
SOGGY AND GROSS

[BRENT]
IF YOU CAN LOSE YOUR TEMPER
THEN I CAN LOSE MY MIND
IF YOU CAN LOSE YOUR TEMPER
THEN I CAN LOSE MY MIND

[ALL]
IF YOU CAN LOSE YOUR TEMPER
THEN I CAN LOSE MY MIND
IF YOU CAN LOSE YOUR TEMPER
THEN I CAN LOSE MY MIND

[DAVE]
COME LOOK AT THE STARS
DEAR PEARL
COME LOOK AT THE STARS
DEAR PEARL

[BRITTAIN (Rose Red)]
How could you. Sister, how could you?

[GELSEY (Pearl White)]
He likes my singing. He likes my singing, that’s all.

[DAVE]
Wait, wait, Rose Red, we were never—
We never—

[BRITTAIN]
I always knew you were shallow
I always knew you didn’t know me
I always knew you didn’t believe in me
I always knew that I bored you
I always knew I wasn’t pretty enough to hold you
I always knew you’d go with someone smarter than me
I always knew your mind was elsewhere
I always knew you were a snob
I always knew you had your head in the stars
I always knew you and your books
You and your fucking books
I am not a puzzle
I'm not some fucking logic puzzle for you to figure out
I am not a fucking game
Why don’t you just go fuck your books?
Why don’t you just go fuck all your fucking books?
And we’ll see who’s smarter
We’ll see

[BRENT (Bear)]
Do you have the things I asked for?
One Pot of Honey
One Piece of Stardust
One Secret Baptism
And a Photo of a Ghost?

[BRITTAIN]
HELLO THERE BEAR
I HAVE THE THINGS YOU ASKED
I HAD TO GO THROUGH SEVERAL LIFETIMES TO GET THEM
AND NOW I’M IN YOUR CAVE
IN MY SEXY RED CLOAK

[BRENT]
I KNOW LITTLE GIRL
AND NOW I’M GONNA EAT YOU UP
EAT YOU UP
EAT YOU UP LIKE BERRIES

[BRITTAIN]
BUT WILL YOU DO WHAT I ASKED?
MAUL THE ASTRONOMER
TURN MY SISTER INTO A CROW?

[BRENT]
I AM NOT A MURDERER
OR A CRAZY PERSON
I JUST LIKE HONEY

[GELSEY & DAVE]
HE JUST LIKES HONEY

[BRENT]
YOU’LL JUST HAVE TO DO IT YOURSELF!
NOW GO AWAY LITTLE GIRL

[BRITTAIN]
I HATE YOU

[ALL]
THE DRIVER CAN’T STOP THE GHOST IS HERE
THE DRIVER CAN’T STOP THE GHOST IS HERE
Side 3, Track 4. “Usher, Part 3” 2-3-4...
____________________________________

credits

from Ghost Quartet, released October 31, 2014

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about

Dave Malloy New York

Theater composer, writer, performer. Shows include Moby-Dick; Octet; Ghost Quartet; Preludes; Black Wizard / Blue Wizard; Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812; All Hands; Three Pianos; Beardo; Beowulf - A Thousand Years of Baggage; The Sewers; Sandwich; Clown Bible; and (The 99-cent) Miss Saigon. ... more

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